Shikoku Pedigree Database

Shikoku Pedigree Database

Several months ago, about there was a call for concern about the welfare of Shikoku Ken. The blog “Prick-Eared” once published a post “Struggling to Keep Head Above Water” scrutinizing the inbreeding problems in the breed, but has long since removed it from the archives cleansing its hands of the blood of dog politics.

However, good things came out the public awareness. An international pedigree database for the Shikoku Ken was created. The database was created to help decrease the Coefficient of Inbreeding and to allow kennel owners and dog-owners to be open with their health results. Although it will take time for the bulk of the gene-pool to be included in the database, hopefully, this will be a step forward toward to a healthier breed.

Hopefully kennels, such as the EGMATO Kennel of Netherlands, will participate in the international movement of breeding for healthier dogs instead of waiting for a genetic test which fits their ideology. It is not the time to bicker about whose lines are flawless. The time to act is now.

I am the owner of this dog, and when I saw the whole pedigree I was simply shocked.

I’m really glad of Shikoku-Pedigree and really hope it will help breeders to avoid this sort of combinations. Inbreeding is a huge problem with most of the breeds, but when it comes to shikoku it’s a disaster because the genepool is very narrow.

Brad, this is one kennel in Holland but there are Japanese breeders in Japan who do not believe in linebreeding or inbreeding. I believe we in North America can breed for diversity intelligently.

BTW, thast dog will not be used for breeding my sources tell me. This kennel is not the foundation kennel for the Skikoku Breed. I am hoping to contact a pop geneticist tyo determine the sustainability of the breed.

Britain, have you ever looked at NIPPO pedigrees for the Shikoku in Japan? Line-breeding is a pretty common practice whether they admit to it or not. You can look at NIPPO pedigrees and see that.Brad Anderson recently posted…Kishin

There’s no chance to use Gaiko for breeding. His lines are too used and I think it’s not smart to just grow numbers and use the same dogs over and over again. There are 3 shikokus in Finland, both are close relatives to my dog (half brother; they have the same father and a double cousin; Gaiko’s parents are siblings to this other dog’s parents), I’m pretty sure the other of these dogs is going to be used in breeding.

When it comes to NIPPO pedigrees, there’s also one Japan import hokkaido in Finland, which inbreeding % is 25. This dog is also on the breeding male list…

Yes, I have, Brad. But with health testing, a trend towards lower COIs and the pedigree DB, there is hope to at least knowing what might be bred to avoid closely related individuals and health problems Most breeds have had to do this. Sharpaei’s in the US were from 8 founders, Chinooks, 11, and i believe the Shikoku has TYPE and can at least start to breed more responsibly without line breeding nor inbreeding.